*BEEP… BEEP.. BEEP. BEEP BEEPBEEPBEEPBEEEEEEEP!!!!!*

A streak of excited particles lights up the interstellar sky as the UFO sailed right across the view port of the the Parental Unit's spaceship.

Parental unit 1: ”Was that…?”

Parental unit 2: ”It was.”

Parental unit 1: ”Lifeform readings?”

Parental unit 2: ”Negative”

Parental unit 1: ”I TOLD YOU WE SHOULDN’T HAVE INSTALLED THE PURGE PROTOCOL!”

Parental unit 2: ”You are right as always, my Snugglenova…”

Parental unit 1: ”Let’s hurry back to Earth”

The spaceship swings around in a tight arc, the light-speed engines flaring as the ship is pushed through sub-space back towards the Human Jeryck.

…

*click*
Jeryck hung up the phone, turning to the two returned Aliens now back in his living room.

Jeryck: ”That was the kids! They are safe, thank goodness! By some lucky chance meeting, they ran into Li Mei while she was visiting her family.”

Jeryck wondered at the odds of the children getting dumped exactly in a time and place where someone like Li Mei knew them and could protect them.

Parental unit 1: ”Indeed human Jeryck… Time travel is a… funny thing. It’s not a perfectly understood science. Sometimes our time travel technology does strange… Unexpected things. In this case it has become for the better.”

Jeryck: ”What happens when it turns out for the worst?”

Parental Unit 1: ”It is I think, best not to think about that, Human Jeryck…”

Parental Unit 2: ”Indeed. All that matters currently is that the children are safe!”

Jeryck: ”Perhaps you could use your spaceship to retrieve them?”

Parental Unit 1: ”Indeed, Human Jeryck. We shall go prepare for immediate departure.”

The two aliens left the house to prepare their spaceship for travel. Meanwhile Jeryck called Channah to tell her the good news. Hanging up the phone, Jeryck grabbed his coat and hat and made for the front door. Before he could get to it though, it opened, admitting the two Alien parents, one looking a bit embarrassed and the other looking quite miffed.

Parental Unit 2: ”Human Jeryck. I regret to inform you that it will be… some time before we are able to take off again.”

Parental Unit 1: ”You see, SOMEONE forgot to turn off the sub-warp propulsion core when they parked the ship and now our fuel reserves are… extinguished…”

Jeryck: ”You mean…?”

Parental Unit 1: ”Yes Human Jeryck. It seems we will not be able to retrieve the Children at this time.”

Jeryck’s face fell as he realized it could potentially be a month or more before he was reunited with Cessy

Parental Unit 2: ”Don’t worry Human Jeryck! We can synthesize more! In theory, we should have enough by the next cycle of your Nights of Winter Festival.”

Parental Unit 1: ”Festival of Winter Nights! Do you not read the infographic I create for our destinations??”

Parental Unit 2: ”Forgive me, my snugglenova…”

Parental Unit 1: ”In the meantime Human Jeryck, we shall start the synthesis process right away.”

Jeryck looked quite despondent. Picking up his phone again, he dialed the number for Li Mei’s phone.

Jeryck: ”Hello again Li Mei! How are the kids? … Good … Well ah… that’s what I was calling about…”

In short order, Jeryck explained the situation to Li Mei.

Li Mei: ”Don't worry, Jeryck. I totally got this. Like, I will watch over the children and see them safely back home!”